Wrenches for placement and removal of threaded nuts and automotive and other mechanical applications have long been in common use. Cylindrical sockets are machined to closely fit the nut to be driven at one end of the hollow cylinder and the other end of the hollow cylinder is machined to receive a square driving member. Torque is applied to the driving member and thus to the socket and nut by means of a wrench handle mounted perpendicular to the square drive and the axis of the cylinderical socket. Thus large amounts of leveraged torque can be applied to the nut.
Typically the cylindrical socket is retained on the square drive by means of a small depressable metal ball contained by and protruding from one face of the square-drive to engage a groove in the interior of the cylindrical socket. The within invention concerns removal of the cylindrical socket from the square-drive of the wrench after the torquing operation is finished either for storage of the tool or to replace the socket with a different size for another operation. Removal of the sockets can be difficult when the operations involve high torque which can jam the cylindrical socket on the square-drive and because the work environment may involve grease and oil which accumulate on the wrench and render grasping and removal of the socket difficult.
Further the detent ball necessary to hold the socket in position provides sometimes difficult resistance in removing the socket.
A number of devices in the prior art have addressed the need for release of the detent and ejection of the socket. Mechanisms internal to the square-drive itself have been provided to release the detaining force of the detent ball and allowing the socket to drop off. However these do not forceably eject the socket or release binding forces between the square-drive and socket itself that may result from high-torque applications. These devices are typically actuated by a spring-loaded pushbutton which may itself be subject to jamming of its moving parts by accumulation of grease and dirt.
Thus it is an object of the within invention to provide a means of positive ejection of cylindrical sockets from a square-drive wrench that will overcome any binding force between the socket and wrench.
A further objective of the within invention is to provide a socket ejection mechanism that can be adapted to any existing square-drive socket wrench.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means of ejecting sockets from a square-drive wrench that will not jam or become inoperative by accumulation of dirt and grease.